Improving lightning strike code

Help and Feedback Code Review
1

I took some model and code from a YouTube video for a tool and modified it to be used on its own to randomly make a lightning strike happen in an area of a part that will kill or damage players near it.

I’m just not too sure how I went about it. It works, that’s for sure but I don’t know how efficient the code is.

Here is the ServerScript:

local ReplicatedStorage = game:GetService("ReplicatedStorage")
local Workspace = game:GetService("Workspace")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local cameraEvent = ReplicatedStorage.events.cameraEvent 

local lightningEmitter = Workspace.lightningPart

local attachmentsList = {}
local lightningDebounce = true

while true do
	local randomX = lightningEmitter.Position.X + math.random(-lightningEmitter.Size.X / 2, lightningEmitter.Size.X / 2)
	local randomZ = lightningEmitter.Position.Z + math.random(-lightningEmitter.Size.Z / 2, lightningEmitter.Size.Z / 2)

	local hitPosition = Vector3.new(randomX, lightningEmitter.Position.Y, randomZ)
	local cloudCframe = CFrame.new(hitPosition) + Vector3.new(0, 35, 0)

	local cloud = ReplicatedStorage.Lightning.Cloud:Clone()
	cloud.CFrame = cloudCframe
	cloud.Parent = workspace

	task.wait(math.random(5, 15))

	local glow = ReplicatedStorage.Lightning.CloudGlow:Clone()
	glow.CFrame = cloudCframe
	glow.Parent = workspace

	task.wait(3)

	local attachmentsAmount = math.random(7, 11)

	local increment = (hitPosition - cloudCframe.Position).Magnitude / attachmentsAmount

	local lastWidth = Random.new():NextNumber(0.5, 1.3)

	task.spawn(function()
		for i = 1, attachmentsAmount do
			local attachment = Instance.new("Attachment")

			task.delay(1, function()
				attachment:Destroy()
			end)

			table.insert(attachmentsList, attachment)

			local basePosition = Vector3.new(0, -(i - 1) * increment, 0)
			
			local rx = Random.new():NextNumber(-4, 4)
			local ry = Random.new():NextNumber(-3, 3)
			local rz = Random.new():NextNumber(-4, 4)

			basePosition += Vector3.new(rx, ry, rz)

			if lightningDebounce then
				lightningDebounce = false

				task.delay(0.35, function()
					local hitVFX = ReplicatedStorage.Lightning.HitParticles:Clone()
					hitVFX.Position = hitPosition
					hitVFX.Parent = workspace

					local sound = ReplicatedStorage.Lightning.LightningSound:Clone()
					sound.Parent = hitVFX
					sound:Play()

					task.delay(0.3, function()
						for i, descendant in pairs(hitVFX:GetDescendants()) do
							if descendant:IsA("ParticleEmitter") or descendant:IsA("PointLight") then
								descendant.Enabled = false
							end
						end

						task.wait(3)
						hitVFX:Destroy()
						lightningDebounce = true
					end)
				end)
			end

			if i == 1 then
				basePosition = Vector3.new(0, 0, 0)
			elseif i == attachmentsAmount then
				basePosition =  hitPosition - cloudCframe.Position

				local min = hitPosition - Vector3.new(ReplicatedStorage.Lightning.StrikeArea.Size.X / 2, 0, ReplicatedStorage.Lightning.StrikeArea.Size.Z / 2)
				local max = hitPosition + Vector3.new(ReplicatedStorage.Lightning.StrikeArea.Size.X / 2, 10, ReplicatedStorage.Lightning.StrikeArea.Size.Z / 2)
				local region = Region3.new(min, max)

				local partsInRadius = workspace:FindPartsInRegion3(region, nil, 1000)

				for i, part in pairs(partsInRadius) do
					if part.Name == "HumanoidRootPart" then
						local player = Players:GetPlayerFromCharacter(part.Parent)
						local distance = (hitPosition - Vector3.new(hitPosition.X, hitPosition.Y, part.Position.Z)).Magnitude

						if player then
							cameraEvent:FireClient(player, "cameraShake", hitPosition)

							if distance <= 4 then
								part.Parent.Humanoid:TakeDamage(math.huge)
							elseif distance > 4 and distance < 8 then
								part.Parent.Humanoid:TakeDamage(50)
							elseif distance > 8 and distance < 12 then
								part.Parent.Humanoid:TakeDamage(25)
							end
						end
					end
				end
			end

			attachment.Position = basePosition
			attachment.Parent = cloud

			local beam = Instance.new("Beam")
			beam.Attachment0 = attachmentsList[i - 1]
			beam.Attachment1 = attachment
			beam.Color = ColorSequence.new{ColorSequenceKeypoint.new(0, Color3.fromRGB(135, 143, 255)), ColorSequenceKeypoint.new(1, Color3.fromRGB(135, 143, 255))}
			beam.Transparency = NumberSequence.new{NumberSequenceKeypoint.new(0, 0), NumberSequenceKeypoint.new(1, 0)}
			beam.LightInfluence = 0
			beam.Brightness = 5
			beam.LightEmission = 5
			beam.FaceCamera = true
			beam.Width0 = lastWidth
			beam.Width1 = math.clamp(lastWidth + Random.new():NextNumber(-0.4, 0.2), 0.1, 1)
			beam.Parent = cloud

			lastWidth = beam.Width1

			task.delay(1, function()
				beam:Destroy()
			end)

			task.wait(Random.new():NextNumber(0.03, 0.05))
		end

		cloud.CloudParticles.Enabled = false
	end)

	task.wait(0.2)
	glow.Attachment.GlowParticles.Enabled = false

	for i, descendant in pairs(cloud:GetDescendants()) do
		if descendant:IsA("ParticleEmitter") or descendant:IsA("PointLight") then
			descendant.Enabled = false
		end
	end

	task.wait(1)
	glow:Destroy()

	task.wait(2)
	cloud:Destroy()
	table.clear(attachmentsList)
end

Here is the project file:
lightning.rbxl (62.9 KB)

There is also the strange issue with the cloud particles kinda just flickering on and off on occasion when it respawns. Not sure what that is about.

2

use runservice instead of a while true do loop

3
  • turn Random.new() into a local variable at the top
  • use RunService instead of a loop
  • turn Vector3.new(0, 0, 0)s into Vector3.zero
  • replace Humanoid:TakeDamage with Humanoid.Health -= x or Humanoid.Health = 0
  • turn the beam.Color = ColorSequence.new into a local variable for reuse